Best Luggage, Wheeled Cases, Duffels and Carry-Ons for 2024

Sold under the brand Gomatic in the UK, Nomatic's Navigator wheeled case is a superb all-rounder piece of travel luggage. It's sturdy, with a hard back that protects it from knocks and bumps with a softer top that can be expanded from 37 to 44 liters. That makes it a flexible option as a one-size-fits-all case for short weekend trips or longer excursions. 

Nomatic calls it a "carry-on" and at 14 by 9 by 22 inches it fits just about within British Airways' carry-on restrictions. However, other more budget airlines would not accept this size, so make sure you double-check the restrictions with whatever airline you're flying with and that you're including the expanded size, if you're using it. 

It has separate zip compartments for your laptop and other gadgets, the outer material is water resistant and both the handle and wheels feel robust and capable of handling anything a demanding travel schedule can throw at it.

With a hard shell made from aluminum, it's no surprise that the MVST Select Trek suitcase feels extremely sturdy. It'll easily protect your belongings from the hazards of baggage handlers while its wheels are removable to be easily replaced should the worst happen. 

I really like the look of aluminum cases and while they're typically some of the most expensive pieces of luggage you can get, MVST Select's range is on the more affordable side. The case has a clamshell opening, with heavy-duty trunk-style latches with TSA-approved locks. 

While this medium-sized model is too big for most airline overhead bins, a smaller carry-on size is available, along with a larger size for longer trips. 

With a 35-liter internal volume, the Horizn Studios H5 case is compatible with many airlines' carry-on restrictions, making it a great option for shorter trips -- though always double-check the restrictions of the airline you're flying with. It's lightweight, but its polycarbonate shell is sturdy, with enough flex in it to put up with severe knocks and bumps while in transit. 

Its four wheels offer a smooth glide across carpet or rough outdoor terrain and its retractable handle feels reassuringly able to put up with abuse. It's made from a range of recycled materials too, it's 100% vegan and made in a way that eliminates 99% of waste during production.

The H5 comes in a standard or "Smart" version, the latter including a battery pack hidden beneath the handle that lets you plug your phone in if you need to charge on the move. It's a handy addition, but personally I'd just go for the standard model and get my own charger that I can take anywhere. 

You'll also find a TSA-approved combination lock and comfortable carry handles on the side and top. I love its smart look that wouldn't look out of place on a vacation with your mates or being wheeled into a fancy city-center business hotel. 

There's a lot I like about July's Carry On Trunk. It's well-built, with an extremely sturdy-feeling polycarbonate shell and aluminium frame, the wheels offer a smooth ride over most surfaces and it has a hidden, removable battery pack with USB-C fast charge for giving your phone a quick boost while you idly tap away at solitaire as you wait for your gate to be announced. 

But I love the design too, with a classic trunk-style opening and sophisticated looks that wouldn't look out of place being wheeled into any of Europe's fanciest hotels. I especially like the brown color of the test model I was sent, which harks back to retro 70s looks. The carry on version should fit most airline overhead bins (though check the dimensions of whatever airline you're flying with) and it's available in larger check-in versions if you need more space.

Samsonite's Proxis four-wheeled suitcase is the most expensive on this list, and that's largely down to the material it's made from. Samsonite calls it Roxkin and it's apparently designed to be hard-wearing while remaining light. 

And certainly at only 3.5 kilograms it's on the light side for a case with a whopping 125-liter internal volume. Its sheer size makes it a great option for longer vacations or family trips where you really want to try and cram everything into just the one case. 

As for its hardiness, it survived our tumble tests admirably, with no visible dents after multiple falls down stairs. The great-looking petrol blue outer did show some scuff marks, so keep that in mind if you like your luggage to always look pristine (why would you?) but I have no concerns about its ability to put up with abuse from baggage handlers. 

It's got a built-in TSA-approved lock and its four casters, while quite small, still manage to offer a smooth ride over thick carpet and rough ground. 

I've taken Db's Hytta Duffel on multiple weekend breaks and road trips recently and it's performed superbly on them all. It's essentially a duffel bag, with carry handles on the top and straps on the back so you can wear it as a backpack. But there's a zip all round the middle that lets it open into two halves like a butterfly. Each side has its own zip cover. 

Rather than it just being one big storage area for everything like most holdalls, this two-sided approach makes it much easier to separate out your packing and keep things organized while you're away. Perhaps it's to separate clean clothes from dirty ones, or one side for clothes, one side for toiletries and other accessories. The choice is yours.

It's made from durable recycled materials that feel like they'll probably last forever and its total 50-liter volume is capacious enough for a long weekend at least. It's compatible with most airlines' carry-on restrictions too. 

Freitag's F306 Hazzard backpack is made from recycled tarp from the side of trucks. It not only makes it strong enough to withstand being chucked around with reckless abandon, it makes each one unique as they're taken from different sections of different truck covers. Some might look more plain, while others will have random bits of pattern, or text from whatever branding being displayed on the truck. My test model shows "+3" which I suspect may well have been from a French phone number with a +33 dialling code. 

But it also means these backpacks have great eco credentials, being made not just of recycled truck tarp, but recycled seatbelts for the straps and recycled bottles for the inner linings. It features a capacious interior, with laptop compartment, smaller front pocket and a convenient side handle which is helpful for sliding it in and out of overhead storage. 

While many bags out there call themselves water-resistant and a few even claim to shirk enough liquid to qualify as waterproof, few companies take it as far as Yeti. The Panga is actually waterproof enough to be fully submersible. That means not a single drop of liquid will get inside it when it's properly zipped up, which also means it's impossible to deflate when you've zipped it up when it's empty. 

Its waterproof nature means this is a bag that's aimed squarely at those of you looking for a rugged outdoor holdall that can put up with whatever your active nature-loving lifestyle can throw at it. Camping in the snow? No problem. Backpacking via canoe? Shove your clothes in, zip it up and throw it on the boat. 

The rubberised outer fabric feels hard-wearing (as you'd hope) and you'll find strengthened nylon loops on the outside for you to lash it to your boat so even if you capsize, your precious bag won't go floating off downstream. It all feels well designed and while it's probably not the ideal bag for a long weekend in Paris (unless you're swimming in the Seine), it's a superb option if you need a bag to put up with your wilderness adventures.

With its 101-liter internal capacity, the American Tourister Airconic Spinner offers a capacious size that makes it great for families on longer trips. It zips open down the middle, opening up into two halves that allows you to pack more thoughtfully -- your clothes in one side, the kids' clothes in the other. 

Empty, it weighs only 3.2 kilograms (7 pounds) meaning it adds very little of its own weight to your luggage. Despite that, it still feels well-built, with a semi-firm outer shell that offers protection to the contents, but with enough flex to absorb the knocks and bumps it'll get in baggage handling. 

The wheels are quite small which was noticeable when wheeling it across thick carpet, but on smoother surfaces it glides well in either its upright mode on all four wheels or being dragged with handle on just two wheels. It has a water-resistant zipper, a built-in TSA-approved lock and it's available in an array of vibrant hues to help it stand out when it comes round on the luggage carousel.